High performance gas turbine engines typically rely on increasing turbine inlet temperatures to increase both fuel economy and overall power ratings. These higher temperatures, if not compensated for, oxidize engine components and decrease component life. Component life has been increased by a number of techniques. Said techniques include internal cooling with air bled from an engine compressor section. Bleeding air results in efficiency loss however. In addition, stationary gas turbine engines typically may have less available compressed air than moving gas turbine engines.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,600,973 issued to Tibbott, et al. on Oct. 13, 2009 shows a gas turbine blade with an aerofoil having a root portion, a tip portion located radially outwardly of the root portion, and leading and trailing edges extending between the root portion and the tip portion. In particular, a shroud extends transversely from the tip portion of the aerofoil and the aerofoil defines interior cooling passages which extend between the root portion and the tip portion. The aerofoil includes a wall member adjacent the trailing edge and a support structure extending from the wall member to the shroud to support the shroud. The support structure permits a flow of cooling air from a cooling passage to the trailing edge at a region proximate the tip portion of the aerofoil. Optionally, the aerofoil also includes a flow disrupting arrangement.
The present disclosure is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems discovered by the inventors.